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A Look Back at the Mayor of Dunk City

By Michael Tolvo

Chase Fieler will compete at the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships at 9 p.m. (ET) tonight, Thursday, April 3. The annual event that showcases some of the best student-athletes in college basketball is being hosted at SMU’s Moody Coliseum. While the senior known around Fort Myers as the Golden Boy will be representing his fellow Eagles and all of Dunk City later tonight, let’s take a look back at some of the FGCU record holder’s most memorable slams.

January 16th, 2014 vs USC Upstate

This year’s race to the Atlantic Sun regular season title proved to a thrilling back-and-forth duel, but it may not have been possible without the acrobatics of the Green and Blue’s lone senior. Behind a brilliant shooting performance from freshman Ty Greene, the Spartans built a 10-point second-half lead. If not for the heroics of Fieler, the Eagles may have suffered just their second league loss of the season. With a team-leading 17 points, including 13 in the second frame alone, the West Virginia native took over the game, completely swinging the momentum in one play.

Down one with under eight minutes remaining, Eric McKnight viciously blocked a Spartan drive. Junior point guard Brett Comer scooped up the rebound and sprinted the length of the court. His layup attempt caromed high off the backboard and appeared to be falling back to the court before a flying Fieler leaped to snatch the rebound and flushed it home with a thunderous reverse jam that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Not only was the fantastic finish good enough to be among SportCenter’s Top 10 at No. 4, it swung the momentum in favor of the Eagles for good. The Green and Blue wouldn’t relinquish the lead for the rest of the night, and the win would eventually prove crucial to their chase for the top spot in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

March 24th, 2013 vs San Diego State

Coming off the biggest win in school history, FGCU faced the daunting San Diego State Aztecs in a fight for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen. Down by six late in the first half of what began as another back-and-forth affair, Comer whipped a pass to the corner to an open Fieler. A quick dribble was enough to shake the first defender and get to the rim. Fieler wasted little time putting the Aztec defender on a poster, rising up for the slam and drawing the foul. Skip to the 2:49 mark below to see it for yourself.

The dunk and ensuing converted free throw brought the Eagles within three points. They would cut the deficit to just one at halftime before exploding in the second half for 47 points to secure the win. The dunk was a defining moment in the game that sent FGCU to the Sweet Sixteen, making them the first 15 seed to ever reach that round.

March 22nd, 2013 vs Georgetown

Why is FGCU known as Dunk City?

Shocking. With two minutes to go in a seven-point game, conventional wisdom would say to play smart and attempt to run the clock out. Instead, the Eagles fired the ball up the court for Comer running toward the basket. With two players focused on Comer, Fieler – who inbounded the ball – came sprinting from the opposite sideline. Comer sent a daring lob into the sky for Fieler to corral. With his elbow above the rim, the high flyer pounded the ball through the hoop to emphatically slam the door on a Georgetown comeback. In one play, Chase Fieler became the Mayor of Dunk City.